Controller.



J. F. MENNINGBN.

CONTROLLER. APPLIUJA'IIOISI FILB'D DBO. 30l 1907. 910,561. Patented Jan. 26,1909.

B SHEETS-SHEET 1. ms. s

J. F. MBNNINGEN.

CONTROLLER.

.APPLIOATIUN FILED 1130.30, 1901.

910,561. Patented Jan 26, 1909.

' UNITED sTATEs PATET OFFICE.

y JOSEPH F. MENNINGEN, OF OAKLEY, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO ALLIS-CHALMERS COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY, AND THE BULLOOK ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING OOM- of auto-transformer windings. troller drum, which is immersed 1n oil'in the The opposite halves o PANY, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

CONTROLLER.

To all 'whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosErn F. MENNIN- ful Im rovements in Controllers, of which the fol owing is a full, clear, and exact speci iication.

My invention relates to controllers for electric motors, and articularly to certain fool-proof protective evices therefor.

In the atent to Herbert W. Cheney No. 864,446, ugust 27, 1907, there ils described an arrangement whereby in case a starting controller is left by the operator in a starting position it will be automatically returned to ofi position, While it can be left as long as desired in off or running positions.

on an has the same general objects as ,the arrangement set forth in said patent.

The s ecific novel features of my invention willp appear 'from the specification and drawin s and will be particularly pointed out in t 1e claims.

` Figure 1 is a plan view of a controlling drum and operating mechanism therefor constructed in accordance with m -invention, the controller casing being s own in section; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the lower part of the controller of Fi 1 showing the parts in ofi position; 'and Figs. 3 and 4 are views showing the operating mechanisms in starting and running positions respectively.

The details of the starting controller' proper will not be described herein as they form no part of my present invention and are unnecessary to an understandin thereof. For what does not appear in the olloWing description reference may bepmade to the aforo-said patent to Cheney. v

A controlling drum 10 is designed to make the proper connections for starting an eleotric motor in any desiredlmannenthe partioular drum shown being designed for starting a polyphase induction motor b means T e con-J oil tank 11, is moved by the operating handle 12, acting through ear wheels 13 and 14.

fthe controller drum Each half copare identical in structure.

e1-ares in turn with each of the two setsof contact `[in gers during Asuccessive operations Specification of Letters Patent. Application mea December so, 1907. semi Na. 18,1560

My Cpresent invention is an improvement Patented Jan. 26, 1909;

of the controller, the sets of contact being on opposite sides of the drum. 'normal-o ousl in t e same direction, which is. counter; cloc wise in the arran ement shown.,

Froinone face oft e fixed on the shaft 15 of t e opferating hany die 12, project two diametrioally opposite.

pins 16 and 17, which, if desired, may ca rollers. A lever 18 is pivqted at 19, engins. by a spring 20 toward the.

pressed downward `pins 16 and 17 and againstone or both of them in different positions o the controller.

The lower surface of the lever 18 is formed substantiall as Shown, so that it forms notches an cam surfaces. By means of the latter, during parts of the rotation of the drum the lever 18 is turned a ainst the spring 20 and tends to force the rum back to off position. By means of the former the lever 18 serves to mark the positions of the drum'and to hold it in the oi and running positions.

When the controller is in off ostion the 'parts are as shown in Fig. 2,-wit the pin 16 (or 17) resting in the notch 21 of the lever. 18. From this position backward or counter clockwise movement of the handle 12 is pref vented by means of the pin`16 and notch 21. However, the notch is, so sha Ved that forward or clockwise movement of t e handle is allowed. In such forward movement the pin 16 turns the lever 18 about its pivot 19 against the spring 20. When thehandle 12 reaches the position shown in Fig. 3, which is the starting position of the controllenthe in 16 strikes the.notch 22 in the lever 18,

eyond which notch the cam surface of such lever is noticeably stee er. Thus the oper,- ator is enabled to -feel w en the starting osition is reached. Should the operatory re ease the handle12 at this time, the spring 20, acting through the cam surface between. the vnotches 22 and 21 of the lever 18, Willforcc the in liback to the position shown in Fig. i

1, t us throwing the controller hack to off position. However, if the operator does not ,release the handle while it is in the position shown in Fig. 3, but after tho motor to be controlled has gained sufficient speed moves thehandle 12 farther in a clockwise direction, thcpn 16 turnstheiever 18 fart-hor against the spring 2O untiisuch pin hasl pas-sed the crest of the'projection 23, when the spring 20 eration of the drum Vis continu ear 13, which. is.

.off position is and the operator together will bring handle 12 into the position shown in Fig. 4, with the in 16 seated in the notch 24 and the )in 17 m the notch 25. The controller' may be left indefinitely in this position, bein f firmly held in position by the engagement o ins 16 and 17 with the notches 24 and 25. he engagement of the pin 16 with notch 24 prevents backward movement of the handle, while the engagement of the pin 17 and notch 25 prevents any accidental forward movement thereof. Indeed, through the pin 17 and notch 25 the handle 12 will be returned to the position shown in Fig. 4 if it is moved slightly head'of such position.

In order to bring the controller to 0H position the handle 12 is moved still farther in a clockwise direction, bringing it to the position shown in Fig. 2, or rather to aposition corresponding to such position but with the various parts turned through 180o about their respective axes. Pins 16 and 17 have now interchan ed places, and backward movement of t e controller from this new revented by the engagement of pin 17 in t e notch 21. The operation above described may now be repeated, the pin 17 acting as the pin 16 did in the former operation.

Many modifications may be made in the precise arran ement here shown and described and a l such which come within the Spirit and seo e of my invention I aim to cover in the fo lowing claims.

What I claim as new isz- 1. A controller for electric motors, comprisin a rotatable drum, an o erating handle there or, and a springresse cam eo erating with parts move by said hand e for biasing the controller to ofi position when it is in certain other ositi'ons.

2. A controller or electric motors, comprising fixed and'movable contacts, and a sprin -pressed lever for biasing the latter in one irection when it is in certain positions and for preventing it from moving in such direction when it is in certain other positions.'

3. A controller for electric motors, comprising fixed and movable contacts, and spring-pressed lever for biasing the movable contact in one direction when it is in certain operative positions, for preventing it from moving in such direction when it is in certain other positions, and for marking the various operative positions.

4. A controller biased to off position when between off' position and a point near running position, and biasedi to running position when near such position on either side operating handle for thereof.

5. A centraliser for electric motorscompris'ng fixed and movable members, an the movable member, a s ring-pressed cam pro vided with notches, an4 means moved by said handleand cooperating with said cam for biasing the mova'le member to off position when it is in a predetermined starting position and cooperating with the notches of said cam to prevent backward movement of the controller from olf or running position.

6. A controller for electric motors comprising fixed and movable members, an operating handle for the movable member, a spring-pressed cam provided with notches, and means moved by said handle and co'perating with said cam for biasing the movable member to off position lwhen it is in a predetermined starting position, and cpperating with the notches of said cam to prevent backward movement of the controller from off or running position and. to mark the'- backward to olf (position when it 1s bmween such position an running position, and said notches preventing backward movement of the controller from off and running potions. 8. A controller for electric motor). erunward to oli' position when it is between sur-b. i

position and inning position, and said notch marking a starting position of the` drum.

9. A controller for electric motors, comA prising a rotatable drum normally movable alwa s in the same direction, an ope-rating han( le thercfona spring-pressed lever hav inf: notches and cam surfaces, said cam envier-M tending to bias the controlling drum luf ward to olf osition when it is between position and) said notches preventing backward :ia-m; ment o f the controller from off or rainning ,vo sition, and one of the notches drafting; f1 starting position.

10. A controller' for electric motors, comprising fixed and movable members, an operating handle for the movable member, a spring-pressed device having notches and cam surfaces and coperating with parts driven from said handle to bias said movable member backward to off' position when it is between oll` and running iositions and to mark the starting position t iereof.

11. A controller for electric motors, comprising fixed and movable members, an operating handle for the movabie member, a spring-pressed device having notches and cam surfaces and cooperating with parts prising a rotatable drum normally xnovabh g1', always in the same dlrection, an operating running position, a plural-..2J

iai

driven from said handle to bias said movable member` backward to oil` position when it is between off and running positions and to prevent backward movement of said member from running.,r position.

12. A controller for electric motors, comprising fixed and movable members, an operating handle for the movable member, a

spring-pressed device having notches and cem sui-feces and eopei'atmgr with parts drlven from sald handle to bias said movable member backward to off position when it is between off and running positions and. to )revent backward movement of said membei' from off position.

In testimony whereof l affix my signature,

in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH F. MENNINGEN. lvitnesses:

Geo. B. SCHLEY," FRED J. KINSEY 

